Youth On The Rock : View topic – Dear Atheists and Agnostics

Screw that, it’s been tried already, that’s what the “brights” movement was about. It (mostly) failed because of attitudes like mine. I’m not a bright, I’m an atheist, damn it. I’m proud to be an atheist, I’m proud that I’ve been able to resist the natural human tendency of leaning on supernatural explanations where the natural ones are not yet known. I’m proud that I don’t need an other-dimensional father figure to comfort me when times are tough.

I don’t feel the need to hide behind a euphemism designed to make others more comfortable with how I describe myself. In fact, I’d have the word “ATHEIST” tattooed on my forehead if I weren’t so damn pretty.

And as if it weren’t already plainly obvious, I think Dawkins the freakin’ man. And Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, and Dan Dennet, and Richard Carrier. Finally there’s a group of high profile people busting down that ridiculous taboo that it’s not ok to criticize religions, and calling on nonbelievers to stand up and be counted. We need that, we’ve allowed ourselves to be a marginalized and mistrusted minority for far too long.

We even have an actual lobby now, and the more atheists and agnostics that make themselves known, the stronger that lobby will become. The only problem is atheists tend to be too intelligent and fiercely individualistic to be easily focused into a cohesive group. Trying to get atheists to go along with something is kind of like trying to herd cats.